Method of increasing the height of a gas holder while in service



Feb. 13, 1934. F. SCHURMANN METHOD OF INCREASING THE HEIGHT OF A GAS HOLDER WHILE IN SERVICE Filed May 26, 1931 INVENTOR ATTORNEYS Patented Feb. 13', 1934 METHOD OF INCREASING THE HEIGHT OF A GAS HOLDER WHILE IN SERVICE Friedrich Schiirmann, Dortmund, Germany, as-

signor to The Stacey Bros. Gas Construction Company, Cincinnati, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio Application May 26, 1931, Serial No. 540,187, and in Germany May 30, 1930 This invention relates to holders or the type known as waterless or dry ers, comprising, a large shell interiorly floating horizontal piston, coacting wit Claim.

tanks of 7 gas holdhaving a h the interior wall surface of the shell, moving up and down within the shell, providing a closure or sealing disk.

movable It is the practice for such types of holders to build a cover or roof over the open top of the shell to protect the interior from rain and inclement weather.

The invention is particularly directed to the method and means for enlarging the capacity of the holder as a future expediency to a used holder, and the addition made while the holder is in operation, primarily by increasing the height of the shell.

An object of the invention is to provide a gas holder having a shell capable of enlargement to meet increased capacity demands, the

enlargement made while the holder is in use and without interfering with its operation by adding to the height of the shell, utilizing its roof as a temporary working deck and providing a roof of a diameter smaller than the inside diameter of the shell, so that the upper edge of the shell can be exposed for adding thereon, and the roof subsequently elevated within the shell to a new position to serve for the increased height of the holder;

Another object of the invention is t for safeguarding against hazards, as

0 provide fire and explosion, while the addition to the shell is in progress, by sealing the roof at its perimeter to the shell to prevent sparks flying from the work during the erection from igniting gas, leaking by the moving piston and accumulating in the space within the shell below the roof and upper side of the piston.

section through a waterless gas holder addition to the holder or shell shown lines, and also in dotted lines, the ro with the in dotted of of the holder, after elevated to its new position.

Figure 2 is a central section through a portion of the roof and upper edge of the shell of the holder.

Referring to the drawing 1 indicates a waterless gas holder shell formed of metal plates and provided with a smooth interior wall surface to slidably receive a movable closure pisto n 2. The

of smaller diameter than the shell and fabricated so that it can loosely lie upon brackets 4 fixed to and extending from the interior of the shell. Therefore, the roof is movable and adapted to be bodily elevated to serve in a new position after the height of the shell has been increased. The edge or perimeter of the roof is arranged relative to the top edge of the shell to have the shell either extending slightly above the edge of the roof or capable of being exposed to permit connecting new shell plates to the top edge without removing or disturbing the roof. The roof is used as a working platform for scaffolding during the erection of the addition of the shell and the space between the perimeter of the roof and the inner side of the shell is sealed by a ring or flashing 5 of suitable material to prevent rain water from entering the shell and also to protect against danger of explosions, which could be caused by sparks resulting from the erection, igniting gas which may accumulate in the open space 6 beneath the roof and upper side of the piston, the gas coming from the holder chamber below the piston by leaking through the sealing joint between the piston and shell, as the holder is in gas storage service during the erection.

Vent holes or openings are provided in the shells immediately beneath the roof and these preferably are shaped similar to a manhole for ventilation of the space below the roof; after the erection of the increasing height to the shell is finished the openings, however, are closed with the plates in such a manner that the inside of the shell is smooth to allow the piston to move across the openings without liability of leakage at such point. Therefore, the number of openings for temporary ventilation are very limited, merely suflicient to prevent the space below the roof, becoming filled with an explosive gas.

After the addition to the shell has been completed, the seal between the roof and the shell is removed and the vent holes closed; whereupon the roof is raised. For this purpose the gas pressure in the container can be used, moving the piston and through connections with the roof, elevate the roof, or the roof can be elevated from the exterior by suitable hoisting machinery as indicated in dotted lines 8, connected to the top of the extension portion of the shell. After the roof is elevated to free the brackets, the brackets are removed and installed to a new height to support the roof. When the roof is set to its new position it is covered at its perimeter to drain the rain water and prevent it from getting into the shell, or provided with an eaves 10 as a sheet metal ring fixed to the roof and extending over the top edge of the shell, as illustrated in Figure 2. The shedding provides an air space for the admission of air between the roof and edge of shell to circulate in the space below the roof and out through the ventilator dome extending from the center of the top of the roof.

The improvement offers considerable advantage and saving as installations initially can be made for a minimum capacity under a stipulation that it can be increased in the future as demands for larger or maximum capacity are presented and the expansion made without interfering with the operation of the holder. The original investment, therefore, can be considerably reduced below an amount that would be required if the installation of a holder of excessive capacity was made based upon anticipatory future needs. The structural details for sealing the roof to the shell or for shedding the roof over the top of the shell can be variously modified and the disclosures herein are made merely for the purposes of exemplifying the invention.

Having described my invention, I claim:

The method of increasing the height of a waterless gas holder while in service, the holder of a type consisting of a cylindrical shell having a movable closure piston therein and a roof at the top of the shell consisting in sealing the roof to the shell below the top edge thereof and venting the upper portion of the shell below the roof by holes, adding plates to the top of the shell for increasing its height using the roof as a working platform, and after completion of the increased height of the shell closing the said vent holes in the shell, before elevating the roof, bodily elevating the roof for the addition of the shell and securing the same as its new position at the top of the shell.

FRIEDRICH SCHURMANN. 

